Nitzer Ebb is back. After a 15 year recording hiatus, Nitzer Ebb is touring in support of their latest album Industrial Complex. The jagged synthesizers of "Getting Closer" started to churn as a steady drum beat quickly followed step. Douglas McCarthy emerged from the shadows dressed in a slick suit, button up white shirt, skinny black tie and reflective aviator shades barking the lyrics like a drill sergeant.

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While some bands rely on too much backing tracks, Nitzer Ebb perfectly blend live percussion and roaring synthesizers together to really punch the audience in the face. McCarthy's swarming stage presence also helps augment the total experience. A heavily arpeggiated synthesizer sequence filled the Galaxy Theater as their new song "Down On Your Knees" sounded just as vital as their older material.

While McCarthy's stage presence carries the show, Bon Harris's synthesizer programming should be noted for being highly percussive and inducing the crowd to dance. Arms waved in the air and bodies moved rhythmically to "Let Your Body Learn." Another new tune "Hit You Back" had a swarm of buzzing synthesizers to accompany McCarthy's refrain of "I'm not in love with you."

Potentially their most evil new track "Payroll" bombarded the audience with ear crushing synthesizers as Harris continued to provoke the audience to dance along. "Godhead" definitely pleased the old school fans as the crowd sang along proficiently. A double crushing blow of older tunes "Murderous" and "Control, I'm Here" perfectly ended their set. "I Give To You" unfortunately was the only encore as they painfully omitted my favorite track "Join In The Chant" which was on the setlist that I spotted at the soundboard. I hope it was because they ran out of time.

Black Centr encountered a barrage of monitor problems during their set which had the keyboardist attempting to fight the sound guy at the conclusion of their set. At least their female stage dancers weren't phased by the problem. Tense was a two-piece, hard-driving industrial act that impressed with their electronic drum kit and sequenced synthesizers.

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Personal Bias: "Join In the Chant" is one of my favorite songs ever.

Crowd: Black leather and vinyl was the most dominant fashion. I have to mention the most amazing thing was the girl in the Hello Kitty gas mask.

Overheard in the Crowd: "Are they the Village People?" was mentioned prior to Tense hitting the stage.